Ever since my son was born, the Tupper Lake Triad has been on my radar. Getting outside with 2 kids feels like way more of a challenge than getting outside with 1, especially because their ages are so different… so the Tupper Lake Triad always felt like an Adirondack hiking challenge that we could actually manage as a family of four. Turns out we were right and it was a lot of fun!
We decided to spend a weekend in Tupper Lake completing the challenge, and so on the fist day we planned to tackle Goodman Mountain.
The Tupper Lake Triad
In order to complete the Tupper Lake Triad, there are 3 mountains that you must hike. It doesn’t matter what order you do them in, time of year, or how long it takes you to finish all three! Although there IS a special patch for people who complete all 3 in the winter.
Mount Arab: 3.2 km roundtrip, elevation gain – 229 metres
Coney Mountain: 3.2 km roundtrip, elevation gain- 171 metres
Goodman Mountain: 5.5 km roundtrip, elevation gain- 177 metres
The Tupper Lake Triad is, in my opinion, the easiest hiking challenge in the Adirondacks. It’s perfect for beginner hikers and kids.
Spending time on the summit of Goodman Mountain.
Quick Facts
Length: 5.5 km
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead Coordinates: 44.115630, -74.535882
Washroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Cell Reception: Spotty
Wheelchair Accessible: No
Parking: Right at the trailhead.
Cost: Free
Open in Winter: Yes
Getting There
Goodman Mountain is closest to Coney Mountain, with Mount Arab being further north. There was a large parking lot off of Highway 30 with space for at least 25 cars. Off to the right there was a small shelter built which I hoped was an outhouse, since we had driven directly there from Ottawa. But alas, it was not and there was no other outhouse to be found. There were also no garbage cans, so please plan to bring home anything you bring with you!
The trailhead was easy to spot as the register was prominently posted at the back of the parking lot. After getting both the kids sun screened and bug sprayed, we signed in and set off. We made it about 10 feet and then stopped to dawdle at the short bridge above a tiny creek that was right at the beginning of the trail.
Signing in at the trailhead for Goodman Mountain.
The Trail
Continuing on, SLOWLY but surely, we followed the footpath through the forest. About half of this hike is actually made up of a paved trail that heads in a very straight line, gently uphill. My husband had done a bit of research and I guess this was once an old road that connected Tupper Lake to Long Lake. Now, it’s just the easiest hiking trail I’ve ever been on in the Adirondacks.
There were a few old trail markers along the way, but on this section of trail they were completely unnecessary because it would have been impossible to lose.
This section of trail was so incredibly easy.
After hiking 1.1 km we left the paved trail, turning to our left and stepping onto a rocky dirt path. The trail we had been on had been renaturalized, and the pavement completely ended. Plus there was a pile of logs down across it to warn us not to continue. So we weren’t at risk of overshooting the turn off onto this more traditional hiking trail.
Beyond the first rocky section, we mostly found ourselves walking over hard-packed dirt. There were enough roots and rocks poking out that the kids stayed interested, but not enough that we had to worry about our footing too much.
There was a bit more elevation gain on this section of trail, and it became more noticeable around the 1.75 km mark. But it was still quite gentle compared to the rest of the Adirondacks!
Getting off the paved path and onto a more traditional hiking trail.
The Summit
We reached the summit after hiking just 2.7 km. The elevation gain was definitely steepest in the last kilometre to the summit. But my 5 year old managed to hike it no problem, so don’t let that intimidate you!
Most of the trail looked like this!
The summit itself had a lovely view, and was made up of open rock face. Unfortunately for us, and our toddler, it was a really uneven surface, and so we had to stay on top of him to make sure he was safe. There was also potential for a big tumble off the very front of the summit, so we stayed close!
We sat and enjoyed the view for a bit, while the kids played in puddles that had collected in the rock.
Then, once we got sick of the bugs, we headed back down the way we had come.
Just before the summit.
Trail Thoughts
Our daughter walked the whole way up, and we carried our son most of the way up. On the way down we carried them both, just to make things a bit quicker.
By the time we arrived back at the trailhead, we had covered 5.5 km. We were able to cover that distance in 2 hours and 40 minutes. But I honestly think it took us around 2 hours to get up to the summit with our kids setting the pace. Then it took us just 40 minutes to run back down to where we had started. So you can probably hike it a lot quicker!
Goodman was a fantastic mountain for us to start our Tupper Lake Triad on. Nice easy elevation gain, a reasonable distance, and great views. I couldn’t ask for more!
Some people aim to complete the Triad in a day, but we wanted to take it easy so we took the kids to the Wild Centre in Tupper Lake for the afternoon. They had a blast seeing the fish and other animals there, as well as playing on the huge structures built in the forest.
Then we headed to our Airbnb to rest up for our second day taking on the Tupper Lake Triad! It was a great trip and I hope this report inspires you to try the challenge yourself.
5 year olds on summits, am I right? *heart eye emoji*
Map and Elevation Gain
My GPS tracked route along the trail.
Whenever I’m hiking somewhere new, I tend to wonder about who was on, and who took care of that land before me. I’ve enjoyed using this website as a place to start learning more about the Indigenous people whose land I’m on: Native-land.ca.
Elevation gain. Not much, really!
Gear We Brought
For The Kids
MEC Shuttlecraft Kid Carrier (for our toddler)
Bug net to cover the toddler’s carrier
TULA Toddler Carrier (for our 5 year old)
Insect shield pants for our daughter (they shield from ticks!)
Hydro Flask water bottles (insulated so our toddler’s milk stays cold and doesn’t leak everywhere)
Sun Bum sunscreen
Bug spray
Snacks!
Rain jacket and pants for our daughter
MEC Newt Suit for our son’s rain gear
Rainboots from Walmart that were AWFUL and kept falling off while we carried them. Note to self to upgrade these.
Smarties (for bribing)
For Us
Map
Compass
Bear bell
Hiking Boots (mine are Keen)
MEC hiking poles
Fjallraven hiking trousers (so many pockets, and good stretch!)
Polyester long sleeve top
Rab 4 Ultra lite emergency shelter (this link is for the 2 person)
Garmin inReach (this is a satellite communication device we bring with us everywhere, just in case there’s no reception and we need to call for emergency help!)
Nalgene water bottle
MEC Aquanator rain pants (these fold up small and aren’t very heavy so you can easily stash them in your pack)
Arc’teryx rain jackets
Don’t let this picture fool you, she moved VERY slowly.
A lot of the trail was worn down to the dart with very few roots or rocks, making the hiking pretty easy!
One final picture from the summit!
